As the results of the Karnataka Assembly elections are about to be declared, the all-important question – who can be the Chief Minister of Karnataka – is being asked once again. Many Deputy Chief Ministers, Chief Ministers and Ministers are in the fray, whose eyes are fixed on the work above.
Here are our top 5 picks for the post of Chief Minister of Karnataka:
1 — Siddaramaiah
If exit polls are to be believed, the first person in this list is Congress leader and former chief minister K Siddaramaiah. Apart from being a former chief minister, Siddaramaiah has been an eight-time MLA. He was also the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. Interestingly, Siddaramaiah has said that this will be his last election.
Siddaramaiah was earlier a part of the JD-S and has served as the Deputy Chief Minister twice in the state. In 2005, Siddaramaiah was suspended from the JD-S. A year later he joined the Congress along with his supporters. He became the Chief Minister of Karnataka on 13 May 2013.
2— DK Shivakumar
Shivakumar, or DK or DKshi as he is known locally, started his career with the Youth Congress and won his first election in the year 1989. He is a seven-time MLA and heads the Congress party in Karnataka. He belongs to a modest agricultural Vokkaliga family. Shivkumar is the troubleshooter of the Congress. He has rescued the Congress from many crises.
3- HD Kumaraswamy
Two-time Chief Minister of Karnataka and National President of Janata Dal (Secular), HD Kumaraswamy or popularly known as “Kumaranna”. He is the son of former Prime Minister of India HD Deve Gowda. His brother HD Revanna is a former minister and MLA from Holenarasipur. Both his wife and son are also politicians.
4 – BS Yeddyurappa
Yediyurappa, a four-time chief minister, is widely regarded as the tallest Lingayat leader the state has ever had. He is the longest serving Chief Minister of Karnataka from BJP. He is an MLA from Shikaripura constituency in Shimoga district, from where he has been elected eight times. It is said that Karnataka – which was dominated by the Congress and Janata Dal factions – saw the rise of the BJP because of Yeddyurappa’s efforts.
5—Basavaraj Bommai
Basavaraj Bommai is the present Chief Minister of Karnataka. Interestingly, his father SR Bommai has also been the Chief Minister of the state. Aswaraj Bommai started his political career with the Janata Dal. He later joined the BJP in 2008. Since then he is ruling the Shiggaon assembly seat. Bommai is the second father-son duo from the family to become the CM in the state. He belongs to the Sadar-Lingayat sub-sect, which is not a major group within the Lingayats.
